Essiet Okon Essiet

Essiet Okon Essiet (born September 1, 1956, Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz double-bassist.

Essiet's parents were Nigerian immigrants to the United States. He studied violin, as a child, then learned both bass guitar and stand-up bass as a high schooler in Portland Oregon. After attending Mount Hood Community College, he played briefly in Los Angeles, then worked in Europe in the early 1980s with Famoudou Don Moye. In 1983 he moved to New York City, playing with Abdullah Ibrahim, Art Blakey, Marty Cook, and Ralph Peterson, Jr.. Subsequent associations include performing or recording with George Adams, Ron Affif, Kenny Barron, the Blue Note All-Stars, Paul Bollenback, Donald Brown, Bruce Cox, Kurt Elling, Kenny Garrett, Benny Golson, Jim Hartog, David Hazeltine, Freddie Hubbard, Victor Jones, Joe Locke, Kevin Mahogany, Cedar Walton, and Bobby Watson. He is the leader of the group "Intercontinental Bush Orchestra", founded in 1995.